A student who is registered in a graduate level program at their home university may register at Queen's for non-degree study to join a research group. Upon receipt of the requisite application which includes a letter of approval from Queen's, the recommendation of a research supervisor and the Department Head, such a student can be accepted by the SGS as a Visiting Research Student (VRS) at Queen's University for a period up to one year. These students may be assessed student activity fees but not tuition fees. They must be insured under the UHIP and cannot enroll in courses. Contact the SGS office for further information and the application documents for the VRS program.

Exchange Agreements

Queen’s also has numerous exchange agreements with universities that offer the opportunity for international students to study and conduct research at Queen’s.

Cotutelle Program

Queen’s Faculty who are interested in supervising doctoral students from another institution with whom they have collaborative research are invited to discuss this option with the partner institution and the School of Graduate Studies. For more information about the cotutelle program, see See International Partnerships

Cross Cultural Supervision

Effective supervision of international students, in particular students from different cultures, requires attentive and pragmatic mentorship. Supervisors of international students are required to be sensitive to the unique challenges that international students may encounter upon arrival at Queen’s. International students may benefit from additional support, especially in the early stages of their program, as they adjust to a new academic and cultural environment and in some cases to an English-speaking university. Clear and supportive discussion in the initial weeks and months on such issues as supervisor-student expectations and communication, cultural differences in values and expectations, differing styles of feedback, laboratory protocols, and/or academic integrity may be required.

Supervisors should encourage international students to ask questions to prevent misunderstandings from arising or escalating into significant challenges or conflict. In particular, to ensure that situational and cross cultural factors have been considered in assessing competence and progress, supervisors should encourage students to identify and work on areas that could be a barrier to academic success (for example, issues relating to English as an additional language, academic writing, essential foundational knowledge required for the research program. Helping your student establish a social network, encouraging an inclusive environment in your lab/program, and bridging cultural differences in communication and interaction between supervisor and student are important in the supervision of international students.

The Cross-Cultural Advisor at HCDS can provide advice to faculty, staff and students on cross-cultural transitions. DETAILS Queen’s University International Cente (QUIC) also provides valuable resources to support international graduate students